1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to chuck mechanisms, and more specifically to an improved quick release quick mechanism mountable on a spindle for releasably holding a tool or the like. The improved chuck mechanism further provides a method for quickly interchanging a sharpened tool insert for a dulled tool insert on a multiple spindle head without requiring any further adjustment to align the tip of the sharpened tool in the same plane as the tips of the remaining tools in the head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,338,626, which issued on Jan. 4, 1944 to Emrick, discloses a tool chuck comprising a body member mountable on a spindle, and a tool insert supported by the body member. The tool insert has an axially extending adjusting screw for varying the axial position of the insert relative to the body member, an adjusting screw on the insert for axially varying the position of a tool inserted therein, and radially extending set screws in the insert for securing the tool to the insert.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 961,777 and 2,338,095, which issued to Imboden and Campbell respectively, on June 21, 1910 and Jan. 4, 1944 respectively, chuck mechanisms are disclosed, each comprising a body member for receiving an insert mounted within an axial bore in the chuck mechanism. In Imboden, the insert supports a drill and the insert and drill are both secured to the chuck mechanism by a set screw. In Campbell, the insert is secured to the chuck member by a set screw. The insert further has an axial screw for adjusting the position of the tool supported thereby. The screw and tool are both secured to the insert by set screws.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,091,886; 3,586,344; 3,788,658; 4,202,557; and 4,491,443 all relate to quick release chuck mechanisms for releasably holding a tool or the like. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,091,886, which issued to Koontz on Mar. 31, 1914, the means for releasably holding a tool insert to the spindle comprises a flat substantially semi-circular lock member on the spindle nestable in a complementary slot in the tool insert. U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,344, which issued to Nixon on June 22, 1971, discloses a quick change tool assembly in which a tool insert is releasably held to a spindle driver by an inclined threaded pin thereon engageable with a semi-circular notch on the tool insert. U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,658, which issued to Benjamin et al. on Jan. 29, 1974, discloses an instant change tool holder wherein a rotatable sleeve on the housing is axially movable between a locking position for holding steel balls in a peripheral groove on the tool insert, and an unlocking position for releasing the steel balls to allow detachment of the tool insert. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,557, which issued to Haussmann et al. on May 13, 1980, a drilling device is disclosed in which a radially extending lock pin on the drive member engages a slot in the tool insert. An axially movable sleeve on the drive member is movable between a locking position in which the lock pin is held in the slot, and a retracted position in which the lock pin is released from the slot to allow detachment of the tool insert from the drive member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,443, which issued to DeCaro on Jan. 1, 1985, is directed to an adapter for a torquing tool, including an elongated body member having a bore at one end to accommodate a working member, and a coupling means for detachably attaching the body to the tool. The improvement therein comprises quick release means internal of the body member and external of the tool to detachably retain the working member within the bore and to the elongated body, and means associated with the bore and the working member for transmitting a torque from the tool to the working member.
Although the prior known quick release chuck mechanisms generally operate satisfactorily, one or more problems exist that have not been solved thereby and require solutions. One problem is that the locking means of the set screw type for releasably holding the tool insert in the chuck mechanism may not be fully tightened or may loosen causing undersirable slippage of the tool and/or tool insert. In those instances where the locking means comprise balls seated in complementary recesses, the recesses could vary due to manufacturing tolerances resulting in play between the balls and recesses which may allow excessive movement therebetween. This adversely affects the accuracy and preciseness of operation of the tool.
Another problem presented by the prior known chuck mechanisms when mounted on the spindles of a multiple spindle head is that no means exist therein to compensate for tolerance differences in the commercial components and processed machine parts contained therein. Consequently, gage lines in end surfaces of the multiple spindles will vary in height above or below one another, thereby requiring an on line laborious adjustment of each spindle or chuck mechanism in order to get the gage lines of the spindles and/or chuck mechanisms mounted thereon to all lie in a common reference plane. Each time a tool insert is changed in an unadjusted prior known spindle head and chuck mechanisms, an on-line adjustment is required for each chuck mechanism to properly position the tool tip to lie in a common plane. In such a preset spindle head and chuck mechanism, a plurality of identical tool inserts of a finite length can only be mounted on the specific spindle for which it is designed since each spindle will require a different preset tool insert.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems presented by the prior known multiple spindle heads and chuck mechanisms mounted thereon.